Filmmaker Bios

Updated January 2016

Gemma Cubero del Barrio is a bilingual writer, producer, director and teacher with a degree in investigative journalism and training in multimedia. She has a passion for storytelling using words, film/video and multimedia. In the 17 years she has been working in documentary film, Gemma has managed productions from location scouting to interviews in Spain, United States, Mexico, Cuba, Germany, Argentina, Hawai'i and the Cook Islands. In addition to her production skills, she has exceptional fundraising moxie with expertise in helping filmmakers connect to resources and funding. Her work through her documentary production company Talcual Films on films such as Ella Es El Matador (She Is The Matador), El Abrazo (The Embrace) and Homecoming has been supported by institutions such as PBS, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Latino Public Broadcasting, POV, Pacific Islanders in Communications, Tribeca Film Institute, IFP Independent Film Week, and many more. Gemma Cubero also worked as Associate Producer and Investigator on the award-winning documentary Señorita Extraviada by Lourdes Portillo and produced What's Under Your Hat? and One Percent: Schizophrenia with Julio Medem. In 2016, she is producing her next film Homecoming on the urgent matter of climate change and the preservation of indigenous knowledge told through the experiences of two women and their unique connection to the atoll Pukapuka in the South Pacific.

Celeste Carrasco is a native of Barcelona, Spain. Celeste is the director, producer, cinematographer and co-editor Ella Es El Matador (She Is The Matador) and Director of Photography and Editor of Talcual Films' El Abrazo (The Embrace) and Homecoming. Celeste also worked with Gemma on Lourdes Portillo's award winning documentary Señorita Extraviada and What's Under Your Hat?. Celeste's additional credits include First Assistant Director on Marta Balletbó's narrative film, Honey, I've Sent the Men to the Moon and producer on Lisset Barcello's narrative film Both. Celeste also worked as a video artist for theatre productions and collaborates with Spanish performing artist Paloma Calle on a short documentary about the live performance. In 2016, Celeste works at the technical department of the Teatro Real in Madrid producing operas.

Filmmakers

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Critical Acclaim

Ella Es el Matador is highly successful point-of-view work that exposes the world of the bullfight through the unique perspective of these unusual insiders.

— Kate Taylor, The Globe and Mail

Ella Es el Matador captures [matador] Vega in some stunning moments that are both poetic and frightening. You may not become a fan of bullfighting, but after viewing Cubero and Carrasco's fine film, you will not be able to ignore its noble, if troubling, beauty.